


A Day in the Life of a Servant

by 4everSPN



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/M, Funny, Humor, Magic, Mystical Creatures, The Old Religion (Merlin), merlin and arthur swap bodies, season 4-5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:28:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29961615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4everSPN/pseuds/4everSPN
Summary: Merlin accidentally casts a spell that makes him and Arthur swap bodies. Arthur learns how hard it is to be a servant and Merlin takes advantage of being King. Set during season 4/5.
Relationships: Gwen/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Kudos: 15





	A Day in the Life of a Servant

**ARTHUR**  
  
"Ah, Merlin, you're up," Gaius looked towards Merlin while continuing with his work.  
  
"Gaius? What am I doing here?"  
  
"You live here?"  
  
"No... I'm the bloody King! I don't live here!"  
  
Gaius walked closer to him, scrunching his eyebrows, "Are you feeling ok, Merlin? Were you in the tavern again?"  
  
'Merlin' looked at his hands then stoked his face and Gaius heard him mumble 'oh my lord'. Arthur strode towards the shelf, picking up the small mirror and his eyes widened at his reflection.  
  
"Gaius, I'm Arthur. I don't know what happened, my guess, sorcery, but I'm Arthur in Merlin's body."  
  
The physician just stared at him, not believing a word he just said.  
  
"Are you sure you didn't go to the tavern?"  
  
"Yes! I'm Arthur!" He paused, hoping that Gaius would believe him. "I can prove it to you. Throw me that bowl. If I catch it, I'm Arthur. We all know that Merlin can't catch."  
  
Gaius gave him a weird glare before throwing the bowl at 'Merlin'. To his surprise, he caught it.  
  
"See? It's me! But if I'm in Merlin's body, then where is Merlin?"  
  
"Probably in your body. We need to find Arthur- Merlin," Gaius corrected himself, "Your body."  
  
As they were heading for Arthur's chambers, they were stopped by Sir Leon.  
  
"Merlin, Gaius. Have you seen the King? He was supposed to be training with the new knights."  
  
"Uh... No, I haven't seen him. I'll come find you if I do," Arthur responded.  
  
  
 **MERLIN**  
  
Merlin woke up in a familiar room, but not where he expected to wake. _What?_  
Merlin got up from the bed and stared at his reflection in the large mirror. His eyes widened in shock. He froze, still staring at the mirror. Merlin turned when he heard a knock on the door then Sir Leon's voice.  
  
"Sire? The new knights are waiting."  
  
"Uh..." Merlin stammered. "Thank you, Sir Leon. I'll be right there."  
  
"Are you alright, my Lord?"  
  
"Yes, why wouldn't I be?"  
  
"You said 'thank you'. You never say that."  
  
Merlin decided to take advantage of being in Arthur's body.  
"Well, I'm sorry. I'm an idiot and a prat. I'll try to be more polite in the future."  
  
Merlin smiled smugly and Leon nodded slowly in confusion then left the room.  
Not too long later, 'Merlin' and Gaius entered the King's chambers.  
  
Merlin sighed in relief, "Gaius, I'm so glad you're here. I'm Merlin, but in Arthur's body."  
  
"I know. This is Arthur," Gaius gestured to Merlin's body.  
  
"This is really weird," Merlin grumbled. "Sir Leon told me I had to train with the knights. I can't even fight."  
  
Arthur turned to Gaius, "Please tell me you can reverse this."  
  
"I'll have a look in my books, Sire. But who knows how long it will take."  
  
Arthur was still bossing Merlin around, "Merlin, you need to tell the knights that you are unable train today. When you talk, act like me, they'll believe you."  
  
"Oh, I know how to act like you. Arrogant and a prat. How hard can it be?" Merlin was about to leave when he turned back to Arthur. "You need to act like me as well."  
Merlin smiled.  
  
"How am I meant to do that?"  
  
"Simple. I need you to polish my armour, muck out the stables, clean my boots, scrub the floor and help Gaius with the chores."  
  
Arthur pointed a finger at his manservant angrily, "I'm still the King and when I'm back in my body, I'll have you hanged."  
  
Arthur heard Gaius chuckle and he stopped when Arthur glared at him.  
  
"You need to make it believable," Merlin laughed.  
  
"Fine," Arthur huffed, crossing his arm.  
  
Gaius grabbed Merlin's arm, "Do you still have your magic? Or does Arthur have it?"  
  
Merlin mumbled some words at the candle and a small flame appeared. He sighed in relief and headed for the knights.  
  
  
Merlin passed Gwen on his way out and she stopped him.  
  
"Arthur. I haven't seen you all day." Gwen leaned in to kiss him but Merlin pulled away.  
  
"Arthur? What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing." Gwen stared at him. "Go ask gaius. He'll explain everything."  
  
  
 **GWEN**  
  
Gwen opened the door to Gaius' home, "Gaius?"  
  
Gaius walked out of Merlin's room.  
  
"I saw Arthur earlier and he was acting strange. He told me to ask you what was going on."  
  
"Merlin and Arthur have, somehow, swapped bodies. That was Merlin you saw earlier."  
  
  
 **MERLIN**  
  
"Arthur!" One of the knights shouted as Merlin walked towards the new knights.  
  
"I'm not going to be able to train today. Sorry," Merlin shrugged.  
  
Sir Leon was confused again, "Sire, I don't mean to be rude, but are you ok? This is the second time you used manners in only a few hours and only this morning you admitted to being a prat."  
  
"I'm fine. Wait... 'admitted'? You think he's- I'm a prat?"  
  
"No, sire. That's not what I meant."  
  
"Oh, and by the way, I want you all to be more respectful to Merlin. He's a good servant."  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
Merlin left the training ground, smiling, and headed to Arthur's chambers.  
  
  
 **ARTHUR**  
  
Arthur sat on the floor with a cloth and a bucket. He scrubbed the floor while mumbling.  
  
Merlin entered, laughing at the sight.  
  
Arthur stood up and glared at him, "When Gaius fixes this, I will have you hanged."  
  
Merlin nodded, "Yeah, ok. For now, you get on with polishing your armour."  
  
Merlin chuckled as Arthur moaned, then left to find Gaius.  
  
  
 **MERLIN**  
  
"Gaius?" He looked around the room, but the physician was not there.  
Gaius emerged from Merlin's room with the spell book he had hidden under the floor.  
  
"Merlin! I think you accidentally cast the spell yesterday when you were practicing your magic."  
  
"So, you can fix it?"  
  
"No. I don't know how to. We need to find someone who can help."  
  
"I know who to ask."  
  
At that, Merlin left for the clearing in the forest on the outskirts of Camelot.  
  
"O drakon, e male so ftengometta tesd'hup'anankes!"  
  
Kilgharrah flew down and landed in the clearing.  
  
"What do you need from me this time, young warlock?"  
  
"How do you know it's me?"  
  
"You are a Dragonlord. I can feel your power."  
  
"Do you know how to fix this?" He gestured to his body.  
  
"I do know of a flower that can fix spells like this one. But it is guarded by a creature of the Old religion. It will not be easy to retrieve."  
  
"I'm sure we'll manage. Where is it?"  
  
"It is to be found in a cave at the base of the Feorre Mountains. You will know the flower when you see it. Its power is so great you will be able to sense it. But do not let this flower stay in Camelot, it must be destroyed once you are done. This flower brings chaos, that is why it's protected."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Be careful, young warlock. This creature will not be easy to defeat. You must protect the once and future king. He is yet to bring peace to Albion."  
  
  
When Merlin returned, he went straight to Gaius to tell him what he had learned.  
  
"Gaius?" Arthur walked through the door covered in hay and mud.  
  
Merlin laughed, "What happened to you?!"  
  
"I was mucking out the stables."  
  
"This, is hilarious! You really are an idiot. Anyway, we found how to fix this. We need to retrieve a magical flower from the Feorre Mountains."  
  
Merlin and Arthur took two horses and headed to the mountains.  
  
  
When they arrived, there was no creature, but as they entered the cave, there was glowing yellow eyes.  
  
Merlin held the fire torch towards the eyes and tapped Arthur's arm, "Arthur, there."  
  
The creature growled and emerged from the dark, revealing itself. It had the head of a panther, the body of a dragon and a pair of feathered wings . As it flew towards them, Arthur pulled out a sword from the saddle of his horse.  
  
"Merlin! The flower!"  
  
Merlin ran past the beast while Arthur held it off. When he approached the blue flower, he could feel the power it held. His heart thumped faster as he got closer. Merlin took his chance and pulled the flower from the crack in the cave.  
The cave started to crumble and collapse.  
  
"Arthur! Run! The cave is collapsing. We need to leave!"  
  
They both ran out of the cave just as it became a pile of rubble.  
  
"Did you get it?"  
  
"Yeah," Merlin panted and held up the flower.  
  
  
They sat at the table in Gaius' chambers.  
  
"So... Are we meant to eat it?" Arthur asked.  
  
"I think so." Gaius wasn't too sure. Merlin and Arthur shrugged.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" Merlin asked.  
  
"I want to see if it kills you. If it does, I won't eat it."  
  
"We have to eat it at the same time. I'm in your body, remember?"  
  
Arthur huffed, "Well, here goes nothing."  
  
They both ate a petal and passed out immediately. Gaius dragged them to Merlin's room and left them there.  
It was two hour before they woke up.  
  
Arthur rubbed the back of his head, " Gaius, why is there a lump on the back of my head?"  
  
"I had to drag you into Merlin's room, my lord. I may have accidentally banged your head on the door."  
  
Merlin snickered.  
  
"Merlin, now that we're back in our own bodies, you can get back to cleaning my room."  
Arthur punched his manservant in the shoulder.  
  
"And you need to go train your knights."  
  
"Oh, and Merlin?"  
Merlin turned to look at his master.  
"I'm sorry for treating you so badly. I never realised how hard your job is."  
  
"Yeah, well, that doesn't make up for you being an arrogant ass."  
  
  
Arthur walked up to Sir Leon, "I can do training now. I was...busy, yesterday."  
  
"Do you still think your a prat?"  
  
"I have never thought I was a prat." Arthur was confused.  
  
"That's not what you said yesterday."  
  
Arthur realised what had happened and ran back to Gaius' chambers.  
  
He shouted angrily, "MERLIN!!!"

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment. They are much appreciated.


End file.
